Christiana

by Jim Pappas

  "Winning, be not winning at all

  Unless it be fair to one and all."

  "Ha!" answered Great-heart with a wry smile. "I don't believe a word of it. But, that all may see that there is a prayer-hearing God in Israel, I shall give you a second chance. Up with you."

  So Great-heart, in an amazing show of generosity pulled his sword and backed off. At this, the giant bowed upon one knee, and professing great gratitude and admiration, said, "Ah, a true knight thou art, dear Mr. Great-heart. Many thanks to thee. Many thanks indeed." But, as he was a rising up, the foul beast snatched a fistful of dirt and flung it full headlong into Great-heart's eyes.

  "Aauugh!" cried our hero, reeling back and groping about in blinding pain.

  "Ha, ha, ha!" gloated the giant bending down to recover his club. "Now I'll show thee what we does to heretics in these parts."

  "You lied to me!" mumbled Great-heart as he stumbled about in his blindness.

  "Nay, 'twas not a lie at all," leered the giant, closing for the kill, "for 'faith need not be kept with heretics'. Take that!" With that, he gave Great-heart a blow to the shoulder that dented his armor and sent him spinning into the dirt.

  "Ahh!" he cried out in his pain. "Foul play!"

  "Nay, nay, nay," chuckled Maul merrily, looking back with a triumphant grin at his masters who were jumping up and down with glee.

  Chanted he with a leer:

  "Fair or foul, 'tis not a sin.

  "It matters only that we win!"

  Then the giant fetched Great-heart a smashing blow to the helmet which stretched him out headlong on the earth and was nigh on to cracking his skull.

  "He's down!" cried James. "What shall we do?"

  "He's down!" gloated Pope and Pagan, rubbing their hands together and gloating at the prospect of having young hearts to offer to the gods of wind, rain and fire.

  "Aye! Down he is," gloated Maul. "Because he was a fool. But such shall not I be! Ready to die, wee one?"

  "Pray, children!" cried Christiana. "Pray for your lives!"

  So the boys redoubled their attacks on the kingdom of heaven. The women began to sing more songs of victory from the pen of David.

  Sang Mercy: "I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart I will shew forth all thy marvelous works . . . "

  Then the giant thought as if he heard the sound of a great troop coming to the rescue and turned to see whence it came.

  Sang Christiana: "I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou Most High."

  "Aauugh," cried the giant, wishing he had two extra hands wherewith to cover his ears. "I hear the sounds of your reinforcements coming, wee one! But too late!" Thus saying, he grasped his club in a viselike grip and snarled viciously; "too late! You are a dead man, Great-heart!" Then turning to Christiana, he pointed a threatening finger and said, "And as for thee, ladies and laddies - tonight ye shall serve me and my masters for sport and entertainment. Now! Prepare thyself to die, wee one!"

  Undaunted by Maul's evil threatenings, faith undimmed by the apparent hopelessness of the situation, Christiana, Mercy and the boys sang together saying, "When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence!"

  So by faith they sang a song of victory from within the very jaws of defeat. But it all seemed to be to no avail as the giant raised his club high over his head. There he paused for a confident moment to enjoy the sweet taste of anticipated victory. But, in that split second between life and death, Great-heart looked up and saw the blurred profile of his adversary's exposed chest. Then the Spirit of inspiration came upon him and he rolled to one side just as Maul's mace mashed into the earth where his head had been. "Eh?" snorted the giant. "Still fighting?"

  Before Maul could pull back his club or guard his heart, Great-heart rolled to his knees and drove his sword home beneath the fifth rib. In an instant, the giant's gloating grin turned to an astonished grimace of pain. He looked down at his pierced chest. His eyes traveled past the the glittering sword, past the gloved hand and mail-clad arm, down to the muddy, blood-shot eyes still blinded and swimming with tears. Still unable to believe what he was seeing, his grip of steel melted to nerveless mush and his club thumped harmlessly to the earth. The last thing his feeble mind recorded was the image of blood-shot, tear-filled eyes that he had so foully filled with mud. Then the giant's vision grew dim, earth and sky whirled about him and he spun to earth with a loud whump.

  "He's down!" cried James.

  Then Mr. Great-heart seconded his blow and parted the head of the giant from his shoulders.

  Great-heart slays Giant Maul

  "He's dead! Hurrah!" cheered Joseph, joined by all the rest. Then the women and children rejoiced and joined Mr. Great-heart on his knees as he praised God, saying, "Ah, Lord God. 'Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever'."

  "Amen!" shouted one and all. Then Christiana came to Great-heart with her ointments and medicines and ministered to the bodily needs of their bruised hero. First, she gave him more of the doctor's wondrous pills and some fresh blood of the grape wherewith to wash them down. Then she tenderly washed the sand from his eyes and cleaned the mud and sweat from his face. "Great-heart?" said she, tenderly.

  "Yes, Christiana?" answered he.

  "How are you? Do you have any deep wounds from your great battle?"

  "Nay, Madam, except for a bruise here and there, for which I give thanks."

  "Give thanks?"

  "Aye. Because one day. when I stand before my Maker, I shall present them to my Lord as proof of my love to you and He. It shall add to my honor."

  "Ah, bless you, noble warrior. Here, let me dress your wounds a bit."

  "Thank you. Oooh, ouch!"

  "Sorry. My! You have taken a nasty blow or two, haven't you?"

  "Only as many as My Lord allowed. Ahhh," he sighed in gratitude. "Thank you, kind woman. Would that all doctors were as gentle as thou."

  "But do tell, dear Great-heart," said Christiana as she daubed some ointment on the worst wounds. "Were you not afraid when you saw the giant thundering down upon you with his mighty club?"

  "Nay, nay. It only made me trust more in the Lord who is stronger than all."

  "But what about when he fetched you down to the ground at that first blow? Did it not discourage you?"

  "Nay again, for this is the way it happened to my Lord and Master during His battle with the devil. But from His apparent defeat, He rose to conquer death. And by His promise, I knew that His victory was mine. Yea, I have learned to hope in the Lord even though all appearances seem to be against me."

  "You certainly kept your courage up, Mr. Great-heart," said Matthew. "I greatly admire you for that. And now, may I bear my testimony?"

  "Say on, lad."

  "I think that God has been wonderfully good to us; both in bringing us safely through this deadly valley and in delivering us from the hand of this fierce enemy."

  "Amen!" answered Mercy.

  "And," continued Matthew, "I see no reason why we should ever distrust our God again; since He has now given us such bounteous evidence of His great love toward us."

  "Well said, Matthew," agreed Great-heart. "Those who trust Him fully find him fully trust-worthy."

  "Therefore, I am resolved, on my part at least, to never doubt Him again, but rather to employ my future in recalling how He has led me in the past."

  "Well said, Matthew!" agreed Great-heart.

  "Hip, hip . . . " shouted James.

  "Hurrah!" answered the brothers three.

  "Hip, hip . . . "

  "Hurrah!"

  "Hip, hip . . . "

  "Hurrah!"

  "Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!" shouted maid and matron, man and manlings together. "Yay! Hurrah! Victory! We are delivered!"

  When this offering of praise had ascended on high, they erected a pillar and fastened the giant's head thereon. Below it they wrote in letters writ large these word
s:

  "He that did wear this head was one

  That pilgrims did misuse;

  He stopped their way, he spared none,

  But did them all abuse:

  Until that I, Great-heart, arose,

  The pilgrim's guide to be;

  Until that I did him oppose

  That was their enemy."

  Meanwhile, the two despots had blown out smoky torches and black candles and retreated to the rear wall of their cave where they cowered in fear. Behind them, the red beast with ten heads hid itself - each head seeking to hide itself behind another - giving the appearance of a writhing swarm of serpents. All trembled in the darkness for fear that Great-heart would be of a mind to slay them as well. But, in God's great timetable, their time had not yet come and Great-heart ignored them.

  CHAPTER XVII

  Old-honest

  So the pilgrims passed on and soon the Valley of the Shadow was only a sooty smudge on the horizon. And oh, what a relief to again breathe clean air, to again hear the singing of birds, and to again see the face of the sun unmasked by the clouds of confusion.

  Now they had not gone far before they came to a large oak tree, under which they found an old pilgrim lying fast asleep. They knew him to be a pilgrim by his little book, his staff, and his girdle. So, Mr. Great-heart gently nudged him awake.

  "Huh. Wha?" mumbled he.

  "Good sir," said Great-heart quietly. "Wake up."

  "Hmmm? Wha . . ."

  Wakening Old-honest

  "I say, wake up, sir. You have visitors."

  At last the old gent managed to crack one eyelid enough to peer out with a drowsy eye. Upon finding himself surrounded by seven total strangers in a country where even one stranger might spell mortal danger, the old crow stumbled sleepily to his feet and clumsily drew his sword. "Halt!" he commanded, putting a trembling point to Great-heart's breast. "Who are you? What is your business here?"

  "Now, now, now. Come, my good man," said Great-heart in as calm a voice as he could muster. "Don't be so hot for battle. These are all friends."

  "Hah! So say you! Prepare to defend yourself!"

  "Nay, good man. There is no defending to be done. We are fellow pilgrims."

  "Hmmph!" snorted he with disdain. "Not all that claim the name are worthy the name. Who are you, sergeant?"

  "My name is Great-heart; I be guide for these pilgrims who are bound for the Celestial City."

  "What! Vile impostor!" scowled the old gent pressing a dimple into Great-heart's throat with the point of his blade. Indeed Great-heart was beginning to wonder if he had survived snarling giants only to be cut down by a sleepy pilgrim. "Do you dare claim the name of one of the King's bravest and best?!"

  "I don't know about that," rejoined Great-heart with a heavenly calmness. "But I do know what my name is."

  "So! Yer name be Great-heart, do ye say?"

  "Yes, sir. Would you mind easing the pressure on my throat?"

  "After you ease the pressure on my mind. So then, me hearty lad, I should be able to see upon thy person the wounds and scars of your profession, should I not?"

  "But of course," answered Great-heart as he moved to remove his outer layer of clothing. "May I?"

  "Certainly. After you unbuckle your sword and let it fall."

  "Mother?" asked James. "Why is Great-heart taking off his armor and coat?"

  "Wait and see, child."

  "Hmmm," said the old gent, letting down his guard a bit as Great-heart exposed some of his many scars and bruises. "This, uh . . . this great bruise on thy arm seems to be new."

  "Aye. Only a few hours old."

  "And how received, might I ask?"

  "In defense of these soft and tender ones."

  "At whose hand?" he demanded.

  "At the hand of a giant named Maul. 'Twas he that used to dwell near the end of the Valley of the Shadow."

  "Used to dwell?"

  "Yes. By the grace of God, Maul has breathed his last."

  "Is that so? Well, if you killed that one, it was only by the grace of God and you are a great-heart indeed. But, before I lower my blade, may I . . . "

  "See my back?" offered Great-heart. "Certainly." So the warrior turned his back to the old gentleman's point in perfect trust. "Find what you're looking for?"

  "Hmmm," murmured the old pilgrim lowering his blade. Stepping closer he reverently traced a finger down a long diagonal scar that swept across that mightily-muscled back. "Hmmm."

  "That long stripe was a wound from Beelzebub himself. And this one under my arm . . ."

  "Nay! No more! It is enough. Turn around," said the old pilgrim as he sheathed his sword and"Ahh, thou mighty warrior," said he as he gave the soldier a manly embrace. "You have claimed the wondrous name of Great-heart and indeed Great-heart you truly are! I am sorry, lad. I feared thee to be one of those three robbers who haunt these parts. Howbeit; as I look upon you with eyes more alert I see that you and your friends are of more noble stock than that. Please forgive me."

  Old Honest

  "I do forgive you, old pilgrim," said Great-heart, beginning to dress.

  As he was preparing to put on his helmet, Old-honest said, "Say, that is some dent you have in your bonnet, good fellow."

  "Aye. I am only glad that it was my helmet and not my head that Maul connected with," answered Great-heart. "Do you perhaps know of a tinker in these parts who might mend it for me?"

  "Aye, indeed I do! He is one who will not only restore it but improve it. He lives not too far ahead of us in a town called Elstow."

  "Ah. And what be his name?"

  "His name, as I recall, is Bunyan - Mr. John Bunyan - a man famed in these parts for his work in metal. Why, rumor has it that he has built himself an iron violin!"

  "Indeed! Thank you. I shall have it repaired at my first opportunity. But till then it is better than no helmet at all. But now I have a question for you, father Honest. If we had been some of those wicked ones you mentioned, what could you have done about it?"

  "What could I have done, do you ask! Why, I'll tell you what I could have done!" said he, emphasizing his point by jabbing Great-heart in the breast bone with a skinny finger. "I would have fought on as long as there was breath within me, that's what I could have done. And let me tell you that neither you nor all the hosts of hell could have gotten the best of me!"

  "Indeed?" replied Great-heart with raised eyebrows. "Why so say?"

  "Why, because we pilgrims are engaged in a war of the spirit. And the rules of engagement in this war state that a Christian can never be overcome unless he shall first yield his will. Right?"

  "Hmmm, very good," said Great-heart with a knowing smile.

  "Well? Am I not correct? In this pilgrim warfare those lose who choose to lose. Right?"

  "Well said, old friend," said Great-heart warmly. "Well said, indeed! I see you to be a cock of divine feather, seeing that you have spoken such a great truth."

  "Thank you," said the old gent. "And I judge thee to be an experienced pilgrim; seeing that you are wise enough to agree with me."

  "My, my! A plucky chap you are," chuckled Great-heart.

  "Well, isn't it true?" insisted the old man. "Who else could agree with such an extravagant statement except those who are wise unto salvation? All others consider us to be the most meek and mild and easily conquered people on all the earth. But 'tis a lie! Through the victory of our Lord, we are more than conquerors! Yea, a true pilgrim will die rather than put his Lord to an open shame by indulging a known sin!"

  "Here, here!" exclaimed Great-heart. "And do tell, my plucky pilgrim, what be your name and from whence do you hail?"

  "My name I prefer not to share. But I shall say that I hail from the town of Stupidity."

  Now at the mention of the town of Stupidity Mercy's ears perked up and she listened with intense interest; for this was the town of which her dear friend Marianna was the duchess.

  "Stupidity, do you say!"

  "Yes. Perhaps you know t
he place. It lies about four degrees beyond the city of Destruction."

  "Yes. Yes, I know the place well. And I'll wager I can guess your name too."

  "What! How could anyone find out my name simply by knowing my origin?"

  "Because only the descendants two families ever escape that town. One clan descends from a Mr. Stand-fast-for-truth; and the other from a man named Mr. Honesty. My guess is that you are one of the latter, no?"